First Night in Kansas City - Bryant's and the Blue Room
Uneventful flight. Slow-talkin' cab driver who gave us a guided tour of the city on the way to our hotel. We are in a nice hotel that plays jazz and blues over the sound system. Everybody is nice, everybody is relaxed. Everybody has a slight accent that makes them very easy to understand.
First we cabbed out to Arthur Bryant's for some BBQ'd burnt ends and ribs. The place was amazing! All of the reviewers weren't just hyping KC BBQ - it is the most amazing flavour for BBQ that I have ever wrapped my taste buds around. It has the ambiance of a truck stop and the flavour of a gourmet restaurant that serves french fries and beans - and everybody seems to like to add pickles to their order.
Next, we walked to the Blue Room for some jazz only to find a funk band playing tunes like "Jumpin' Jumpin" and Toni Tony Tone's "Anniversary". The were tight and had one "experimental guy" who played chimes, bongos, tambourine, rain-stick and many things that I didn't recognize, adding depth to their sound in very interesting ways.
A few Blue Room martinis later we heard the most amazing Jazz/Blues singer belt out what can only be described as a Nina Simone-esque sound. Ida McBeth treated standards like they were her own. She dropped lyrics like warm blankets all over the eclectic crowd, causing a sea of applause and one fan in front of her to convulse with pleasure. The audience didn't give her polite recognition after each song, we clapped and cheered sporatically throughout. Amazing.
This is the strangest city I've ever seen. It appears deserted all the time even though there are almost two million people here. Everything is so spread out that a cab ride from the airport to the Sprint headquarters costs $80. It's as though there is a bylaw that states "you must leave every other building lot empty". Even the jazz district at 18th and Vine is a long cab ride from our hotel... as a matter of fact, a long cab ride from anywhere.
The bonus is that there is no traffic, you have the sidewalk to yourself and could always find a parking spot. Anywhere.
Oh yeah...there is Chiefs paraphenalia everywhere. This fan is home.
Laisser les bon temps rouler!
posted by Rik @ 7:30 PM
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